Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

From what I can remember off the top of my head.......

Beeps got their start in the early 80s as motive power for some Williams complete/ready-to-run sets.

 

The mold was taken up by Walter Matuch in the early "aughts" (is that the proper word for the 1st decade of a century?) when he formed the firm Ready-Made-Trains.....soon colorful, problem-free little engines were turning up everywhere.  

 

The word Beep is a play on the words  "Baby Geeps"

 

Peter

Last edited by Putnam Division

Actually the model history of the beep goes back a ways.  Kusan introduced this model in the late 60's or early 70's.  It does not have a prototype although Santa Fe did create a locomotive called a BEEP that had a partial GP9 carbody used as the long hood for I believe a Baldwin Switcher.

 

I have a Kusan battery powered one I picked up at a local auction.  It is an interesting collectors piece. It's late Kusan as it is all plastic.  I don't think it has a metal part in it.  I'll post a photo when I get a chance.  The current production ones are solid runners.  My local club has several.

Last edited by GG1 4877

Who invented them?

 

From the RMT website...

 

"...the original KUSAN diesel, Williams Electric Trains version and the diesel offered by Toy Truck Collector/Taylor Made Trucks"

 

 

What kind of functionality do they have?

 

Great little switchers!

 

 

What is there to know when considering running them?

 

Close together pickups may cause an issue on some turnouts.

 

 

What's the quality like?

 

Great Quality... they take a lickin' and keep on...OOPS!

 

I have a bunch of them and they work well.  At our club we have managed to wear out a few, but that's after a whole lot of continuous running.  Some have TMCC'ed them, and added sound!

 

Simple to change shells - What a great idea!

 

Get one, you'll like it!

 

Ed

 

Bob, I'll bet you're right.   That was my test engine for the beta test of the Cruise Commander Lite.  I wanted to demo how small an engine it would fit in with sound and all.  I did get carried away with the lighting, you can independently control the strobe, the cab lights, and of course all the usual controls.

 

Since mounting electrocouplers on this looked to be really ugly, I used the EC outputs to switch on and off the cab lights.

 

I see others have now have responded that Kusan originated this design but included with my planned post following below are links to some photos of Kusan Beeps.

 

Actually the heritage of the Beep goes back to Kusan who in the mid-50’s used that mold to make K-series 2-rail DC-powered switchers in M&St.L, C&O, L&N, General Motors, Kusan, US Army and US Air Force paint schemes.

 

Here’s some photos: Click here: Kusan K-Series General-Purpose Four-Wheel Switchers

 

Bill

When Walter started making them in their current incarnation as the BEEP, they were originally sold with the chassis and body as separate items - you bought a chassis and then a body to put on it. If you wanted to, you could buy a chassis and two or more bodies to swap out. I got my one and only BEEP at York the year they came out. There was a guy there (probably Walter, but I don't remember for sure) with a huge pile of boxes and a crowd of guys gathered around buying them. I bought a chassis and a Milwaukee Road body for a total of around 50 bucks. 

Originally posted by the Gunrunner:

Bob, I'll bet you're right.   That was my test engine for the beta test of the Cruise Commander Lite.  I wanted to demo how small an engine it would fit in with sound and all.  I did get carried away with the lighting, you can independently control the strobe, the cab lights, and of course all the usual controls.

Well That maybe your opinion but I would not call that getting carried away with the lighting. Try adding directional marker lights and ground lighting as well!

 

Originally Posted by prrhorseshoecurve:

Originally posted by the Gunrunner:

Bob, I'll bet you're right.   That was my test engine for the beta test of the Cruise Commander Lite.  I wanted to demo how small an engine it would fit in with sound and all.  I did get carried away with the lighting, you can independently control the strobe, the cab lights, and of course all the usual controls.

Well That maybe your opinion but I would not call that getting carried away with the lighting. Try adding directional marker lights and ground lighting as well!

 

Directional markers?  I forgot to mention those, I did indeed add them.

 

I didn't think of ground lights at the time.   Here's the wiring in that BEEP.

 

 

BEEP Locomotive Lighting Schematic

Attachments

Images (1)
  • BEEP Locomotive Lighting Schematic

For a small engine there is an issue with navigating O27 curves.  If I recall, the couplers cannot swing enough for the tight curve and will often derail the car they are pulling.

 

That was with the original RMT run.  It might have been corrected since.

 

I do like them.  I like creating a three engine MU and setting them on locked forward.  Then if one stalls due to roller spacing the other two drag it along.

 

Another important feature is that they have great low gearing for smooth slower running.

 

 

 

 

John,

 

Your comment about the electrocouplers: "I used the EC outputs to switch on and off the cab lights."

 

You say that one can use the EC outputs to turn on and off lights. I thought that the output was a onetime function, what I mean is that I thought if you hit, say, front coupler, a light would come on and then off upon release, like a momentary switch.

 

Can you hook up a lamp to the front EC, hit front coupler button and the light comes on and stays on until you hit front coupler again?

 

RAY

Add Reply

Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×